Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Pondering the shit not being addressed whilst folks pretend to debate isms…

A bitch watched the primary coverage yesterday for a wee bit and then I had to turn that shit off.

I’ve found myself getting drawn into debates over campaign bullshit and distracted from the real issues that are at play in this election year.So, I took a break last night and my ass is glad for it because I woke up this morning to several e-mails asking this bitch whether I thought sexism or racism have had a greater impact on the Democratic side of things.

Blink.

Shit.

Sexism has been a factor in the primary race?

Of course it has.

This is America and you can drop a period and end that sentence after 'factor'. I’m not disturbed by pundits pondering whether the political press has indulged in a sexism gorge fest…my ass is disturbed that anyone who regularly watches these people could work up shock over the sexism gorge fest taking place.

I’m a woman (and by the way, someone needs to tell these same assholes that ‘woman’ comes in multiple shapes, colors, backgrounds and orientations) and my ass is deeply involved in politics. Sexism is a factor…in print, on television, on the fucking radio and in the minds of voters.

So a bitch wasn’t shocked.

I was disappointed…

…and more than a little rattled at the overt and unapologetic nature of the beast.

Cough.

Racism has been, is and will remain a factor in American political life. I will admit that my dreamy eyed optimistic hope that racism wouldn’t be used as a political tool during the Democratic Primary season was…well, dreamy eyed and overly optimistic.

My bad (wince).

But a bitch wasn’t shocked.

I was, once again, disappointed…

…and more than a little rattled at the overt and unapologetic nature of the beast.

Pause…sip ice water…continue.

The difference between this bitch and some pundits and supporters is that my ass couldn’t fix my face to deny that sexism has played a role in this shit if the reward was a life free of bullshit. But some would deny that racism has been in play. Others still seek to engage in an 'oppression off' and debate whether racism is more harmful that sexism or sexism is more harmful than racism or your momma said my momma said blah followed by blah followed by Jesus bullshit sure...does...stink.

Well, this bitch ain’t playing that tired ass insulting and bound to get you nowhere fast game.

I am a woman of color and my angry black self is subject to both and the beneficiary of neither.

This election matters in a lot of ways but one key way is that it presents the Democratic Party and candidates to the American people. Breaking news, y'all – most Americans aren’t into party politics. Oh, they may vote…but that doesn’t mean that they define themselves by party affiliation. And those that don’t vote often cite party–based drama as a reason for not voting.

So here y'all are baiting and insulting and pandering your way to the convention where some are threatening to bait, insult and pander their way to the nomination…bare-assed and naked as the day you were born and demonstrating no home training for all the world to see.

Sigh.

But this election matters and I can't afford for that to get lost in the bullshit.

"But before and after those two minutes [of voting], our time, our energy, should be spent in educating, agitating, organizing our fellow citizens in the workplace, in the neighborhood, in the schools. Our objective should be to build, painstakingly, patiently but energetically, a movement that, when it reaches a certain critical mass, would shake whoever is in the White House, in Congress, into changing national policy on matters of war and social justice."

I was born a Republican and now am a Democrat and can attest that the following statement is incorrect:

"Oh, they may vote…but that doesn’t mean that they define themselves by party affiliation. And those that don’t vote often cite party–based drama as a reason for not voting."

Republicans, in my opinion, define their identity more by their party than you can imagine. Look at convention pictures. Look at voting records of the South. The Yellow Dog Democrats (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_dog_Democrat) are now Republicans. They would die before voting for a Democrat. Who looks more alike? Republicans go to church (preferably Protestant), drive SUVs or the "standard" of the neighborhood, and oftentimes they will talk like Democrats. But they always vote Republican.

Yes there is racism and sexism but it's not what it used to be. I see a sea of white faces at Obama rallys and they are not all young. I see many men at Hillary's rallys. I'm 65. When I was growing up I never met an African American until I was in high school, 1957. I was born into segregation. Change is a struggle but I really believe...want to believe...that the majority of this country is ready to embrace unity. I pray so.I look forward to your words daily.

I've always thought of the racism and sexism as intertwined. Not that they are the same thing, but if a person is a racist I wouldn't be surprised when he started spouting sexist dribble, too. So, I'm wondering if those people who would vote for HIllary because she is white would abandon her for McCain in the general because he is a man.

Uh, vcat, why do you think you call Ms. Clinton Hillary, and do not call Mr. McCain John?

PEOPLE (there's only one species we know of), need to think with their eyes closed once in a while. Like anytime you're not operating heavy machinery.

Btw, I'm a light-skinned, intersexed, biologically mostly-female, mostly homo, sporting a fumanchu. I'm pretty much always "the only one in the room", and from my POV all eye-dentity politics are low, divisive, and against our best interests for survival, let alone joy and growth. Step the fuck UP. Bigotry is to be abhorred and challenged EVERY time we meet it. When we stop being sheep, they'll stop being wolves.

And while I'm at it, there is a considerable chunk of the Mexican and Asian demographic that will never vote for an African-American. And women who won't vote for a woman, and homo Republicans. WTF??? Race / gender-based bias is just WRONG, always. Intention and behavior are the only things that matter, which is clear when you close your eyes and use your brain and heart to process information. The coating is just for decorative delight.

goatini...In defense of calling Hillary...umm, Hillary. Hillary is branded as Hillary through the Senator's campaign. I think it was a brilliant move actually since first name association is usually more personal and connected.

So, I don't think Hillary being called Hillary is coming from where you think it is. Rather, I think it is the result of all of those t-shirts and banners and signs and web blasts and so forth.

Yep, yep. great post. This entire election has been void of women of color. We're out there on the ground, in our communities dealing with this shit everyday. Yet, you look at MSM and all you see are whites, white men, white women and Black men talking about the issues of race and sexism. I'm tired of it. Your anger is my anger.

Thank you Shark-fu (oh mighty force who is worshipped from afar) for answering my question. I have been in a television moratorium since 2000 - when the outrage began - so I haven't been "branded" by the candidates.

Thank you for the nod MarilynJean.

My apologies for not typing Mexican-American and Asian-American. I'm not much into nationalism, or typing of either kind, but I hadn't intended any slight.

MarilynJean, not only is the election void off women of color. Our "representations" of life in general are void of women of color, indeed of PEOPLE of color in any form. Read the major newspapers? Front page, business, etc. -- Articles about white people, mostly men. (People of color are usually noted in newspapers in the "crime" sections.) Watch tv? Programs starring white people, about white people, for white people. Note the eight TV ads in a row that feature: white people. (thin and pretty ones, too!) Magazines? Same thing. Articles, photos, ads -- all about white people. Unless, of course the magazine is a "black" magazine or the tv ads are reaching for a "black" demographic.

Equality, my ass. We're still separate and unequal, and you don't have to be shouting racist slurs from the rooftops to be a privileged white-ass myopic bigot.

Shocked? Disappoointed? How refreshing. You can still feel these things. When do you think big media will accept reality? When will they stop trying to shape, bend, twist, and mould what's happening in the world into somehting they can make a profit on?

Of course, I remain hopeful. Sexism sells. Rascism sells. Pandering to general fears and hatreds, if nor outright fanning the flames, sells. I'd be hard put to guess when they'ed stop making money on out general ignorance.

Based on present obsevations, that should come about the samae time all the lights go out because we've used up all the oil. Maybe before, but I'm thinking no.

I once thought the use of "Hillary" was demeaning, but then I remembered that first naming works for Madonna and Oprah. It actually gives an impression of female power; a woman's given name is her own and not the name of a father or husband. It expresses independence.

Kind of off topic here. I'm a man of color. My color just happens to be white (well off-white if you want to be technically correct). I love all color of folk though and have never been against anyone for the color of their skin.

Forgive an old fart whose memory is fading with time. My brain is full so every time I put something in, something else comes out.

Who is the fine babe in the picture? I had a girlfriend that looked like her way back in the day. We tried to make a go of it but that was the 60s and even though we tried our best to make a life together, racism on both sides was just so bad that we couldn't make it work.

We loved each other but both of our families, friends, coworkers, etc just made life continuously miserable for us.

We both regretfully agreed to go our seperate ways. I still think about her today. She was a fine woman and would have made a fine wife. I wish we could have fought a little harder to make things work but we were young and life was tough enough without having everyone hate you for being a mixed race couple.